Disney debit & credit cardholders can get free Dining Plan (with a catch)

Disney cardholders are currently eligible for a new promotion giving free Dining Plans. While that has the potential to save a decent amount of money, the catch is that you have to buy a non-discounted stay package which is presumably much more expensive than other options.

The Deal

• Get a free dining plan when using a Disney debit or credit card to buy a non-discounted 4 night/4 day Walt Disney Travel Company package.
• Direct link to offer.

Key Terms

• Valid for arrival on the following dates:
  • July 1-31, 2024
  • September 1-7, 2024
  • December 9-21, 2024
• The number of packages allocated for this offer is limited.
• Length of stay requirements may apply.
• Everyone in the same room must be on the same package.
• If reserving by phone, must mention the offer when booking.
• Must use a valid Disney Visa Card or Disney Rewards Redemption Card to pay the deposit.
• Disney Visa Cardmember must stay in room.
• Offer is non-transferable.
• Additional per-adult charges may apply if there are more than 2 adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts, and Studios at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.
• Advance package reservations required.
• Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
• Theme Park tickets are valid for admission beginning on date of check-in and must be used within a limited number of days, depending on length of stay and ticket.
• Offer excludes the following room types: Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Deluxe Studio – Club Level, 1 Bedroom Villa – Club Level, and 2 Bedroom Lock-Off Villa – Club Level at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, 3-bedroom Grand Villas, and all Moderate and Deluxe Club Level & Suites.
• Specific number of meals and snacks are determined by the number of nights included in the package stay.
• Meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during your stay.
• Unused meals and snacks will roll over day to day and expire at midnight on day of checkout.
• Meals and snacks are nontransferable between party members.
• For the Disney Dining Plan, some Table-Service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase. Learn more at DisneyRewards.com/DineOffer.

Quick Thoughts

There’s a couple of different dining plan options depending on which type of accommodation package you book. Select Disney Value and Disney Moderate Resort Hotels get a free Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, while bookings at Select Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels get a free Disney Dining Plan.

Disney Quick-Service Dining Plans appear to cost $57.01 per adult per day and $23.83 per child per day and include the following:

• 2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)
• 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
• 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

Disney Dining Plans on the other hand cost $94.28 per adult per day and $29.69 per child per day and include the following:

• 1 Quick-Service Meal (per night of stay)
• 1 Table-Service Meal (per night of stay)
• 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
• 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

For a family of two adults and two children, getting a free Quick-Service Dining Plan would save you $646.72 over the course of a four night stay. For that same family type, you’d be looking at savings of $991.76 over the course of a four night stay.

Those are some sizable savings, but could come at a cost. That’s because you have to book a non-discounted stay package to be eligible for the free dining plans. I imagine that’ll greatly reduce the value of the free dining plans, but it might still save you money overall.

This offer seems to be available to all Disney debit and credit cardholders. If you have a personal Chase checking account, you can get a Disney debit card for free which makes you eligible for offers such as these and other cardholder benefits – a great workaround if you don’t want to waste a 5/24 slot on a Disney credit card.

Although you have to pay with your Disney debit or credit card, the terms state that you only need to pay for the deposit that way. Depending on the size of the deposit, that could still enable you to save a decent chunk of change on the balance by paying with Disney gift cards bought at a discount elsewhere.

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